Jack Jackson
Skills Despite the dullard look that Jack has often been described to have, he is an intelligent boy. Though uncommon for people of his significance, or lack thereof, in his time, he had been able to read and write by the time he was five years of age. He is a clever boy with incredible potential, although he doesn't always completely utilize it outside of his work as an artist. Jack has the potential to be a formidable strategist, but it is his natural rash nature which throws him off of that path. His true talent, however, lies in the artist of masonry. Jack has an understanding of angles and depth unlike so many others his age and could be considered a bit of a child prodigy. Truly, however, he has had himself years and years to practice on the walls of he and his mother's dwelling in the woods. Although he is talented with simple line art, Jack's passion lies in the shaping of stone, carrying always with him the tools of the trade, his mallet and his chisel. Unfortunately, despite his eagerness to help others, Jack is not physically very strong. He has no fighting experience and although he may be able to throw some able punches and kicks, he has little experience with weaponry. He is not new to the simple task of holding a blade, but he has never been trained in swordplay. Personality To strangers, Jack is nothing more than the self-mute son of a witch. Some have even suspected that the witch, herself, took the boy's voice from him, but those who befriend the duo beyond initial greetings have learned the truth, or more likely, what the truth is not. As a child, Jack saw something that nobody so young and so fragile should have seen, and ever since that day, he has simply chosen upon himself not to speak with strangers when the situation can be helped. Even when it cannot, he is a boy of few words. When it comes down to it, Jack is simply not entirely trusting of others. He is fiercely protective toward those he is closest to and was naturally born with something of a heroic streak. This simply means, though, that if he sees an innocent person in need, he will act without hesitation and, often times, without precise thought. That doesn't mean that he is naive enough to trust everybody he meets, though. His mother having been condemned and outlawed for suspected witchcraft, trust is simply not something that comes to him easily. Although he does lack trust, he is willing to give others the benefit of the doubt in many cases. What he can't handle, however, is betrayal. If somebody stabs him in the back or hurts any of those he feels closest to, then Jack is likely to fly off the handle and start throwing punches. He isn't the strongest of folk, but where he lacks in strength, he makes up for in determination. He doesn't give up and it sometimes takes somebody holding him back to stop him. Jack holds a fierce loyalty toward those he loves and harbors a selfless attitude, more than willing to put his life on the line for that of another. Despite his appearance and the first impression he does seem to give off during some occasions, Jack is very intelligent, gifted with a beautiful talent. Not only does he have an understanding of angles and depth unlike most his age, but he is quite good at planning ahead. Strategy, however, proves not to be his strongpoint outside of his work as an artist. His cleverness is not used to its full potential as he has always been impulsive, jumping into situations without completely weighing his odds. Though relatively new to him, love is an uncomplicated thing for Jack. He doesn't attach himself to others very often, so the feeling is distinctly recognizable, though he is quite sure that has eyes only for one woman who very well may not see him back. Appearance At first glance and even after the second and third, Jack has been described as looking a bit simple-minded - like a dullard, even, he'd even heard. The young man has a long face and slightly defined cheekbones, which make him appear a bit older than his true age. He is tall, nearly that of a fully grown man, but his body is thin and very lightly muscled from the running that he does on his own. Despite the amount of sun he gets day after day, Jack's skin is fairly light. The freckles dusting the entirety of his face, however, are in clear contrast. His lips, oddly long and a pale pink in color, add a bit of a strange hue to the mix. His most notable feature is, first and foremost, his head of firey red hair. It has been cut into a messy short style with bangs hanging down on his forehead and out of the way. His mother had cut it all these years, as was common. In close comparison to his vibrant hair color, however, are his eyes, a delicate light green in color. He has, on occasion, heard himself referred to as doe-eyed due to his wide-eyed nature. Clothing has never been a problem or a luxury for Jack and easily gets away with wearing simple cotton blends he and his mother have picked up doing their travels. In fact, he much prefers comfort over anything else. He has taken a liking to a very particular brown hooded cloak that drapes over his shoulders. Made from a light material, it gives sneaking about and disguising more benefits. Relationships Guinevere Sebastian Yarrick History Jack was born the bastard child of Ellen and Jack Shareburg. The boy knew little of his father's family, but he always wondered. What little he did know began as the horrific trial he witnessed as a baby boy, something which he would never forget, despite how young he was. The rest of the details came to him from his mother. Jack Shareburg had been found on the beach, washed up on the shore and speaking of a secret, which he could only tell to the king. Ellen took the poor man in, eventually seeing a confessor in order to grant Jack a meeting with the king, himself. Once the vague information had reached that confessor's ears, however, knights were dispatched to arrest Jack for a theft which he did not commit. He was tortured until, finally, he confessed. His tongue was cut out and he was held in the dungeons for three years after before they finally allowed him a trial which would end only in tears and curses. Ellen and the red-haired baby boy she held in her arms watched horrifically as Jack Shareburg was burned at the stake. Ellen claimed a curse on the three corrupt individuals behind the set-up - a prior, a lord, and a priest. Immediately after, the woman was outlawed. She kept Jack Shareburg's ring, a keepsake, and gave it to her son, who has worn it on his finger ever since. Ellen and her son found shelter as well as home in the woods, in the form of some large caverns. It was not a harsh life as they settled into the way things worked living all the way out there. They learned to survive on plants and on the occasional hunt, while Ellen put a new focus on her medicinal studies. They remained there for years after until one fateful day, they came across a family - Tom Builder and his wife and two daughters. Jack watched the happy family from the shade of the trees with fascination, guilt, and even a bit of jealousy. He and his mother would simply have moved on had it not been for the attack they then witnessed on the family's daughter, as well as the theft of their pig. They went to their aid with little hesitation, allowing the family back to their cavernous home where Ellen helped their daughter. Tom Builder's boy, Alfred, had been untrusting from the very start, but the moment he awoke and spotted what looked like a spellbook and aids for witchcraft from where he sat in the dark, he immediately awoke his mother, horrified. The family left straight away, leaving the two on their own once again. A short amount of time passed, though, before Ellen found an aching feeling in her gut and sent Jack after them with worry that something may be wrong. Though Jack never did come across the family, he did stumble upon a grave belonging to Tom Builder's wife as well as a newborn baby boy. Jack was not able to get close, though, as a large man, one of the pig thieves, in fact, emerged from hiding and stole the lone baby boy away. Ellen and Jack did see the family again, however, during their travels as Tom Builder tried to find work. Ellen wanted, for Jack, a master builder to apprentice the boy and Tom Builder seemed suitable. They found work at Shiring Castle, where Jack first laid eyes on the beautiful Aliena. An attack on Percy Hamleigh's behalf, however, one day slaughtered those at the castle and the family was, once again, forced to move. Their travels eventually brought them to Kingsbridge, where they had heard of the cathedral needing quite a bit of work. This was confirmed as they arrived, but Prior Philip could not pay them. Distraught at having to leave to find more work which may never be found, Jack took matters into his own hands, sneaking into the heights of the cathedral and setting a fire. Kingsbridge watched their cathedral burn to the ground and in this desperate time, Tom Builder was then given work in exchange for food and lodging. As work on the cathedral began, Jack helped where he could. Tom, to Jack's surprise, gave him the honor of making a statue of St. Adolphus, which he eagerly worked on day and night. Beyond cavern walls, he had never worked in stone before and taught himself an enormous amount as he worked. Work on the cathedral came to a halt in some aspects, though, as more stone was needed. Tom, Jack, Alfred, and a group of workers went to the Quarry. Though the land did not belong to the Priory of Kingsbridge, the king gave Prior Philip access to the stone for use toward the cathedral. They were not greeted lightly at the Quarry, however, crossing paths with William Hamleigh and his Squire, Walter. Supposedly by order of the King, they went back on their word, unwilling to hand over their stone. William suggested a dual to settle the matter, one man armed with a mason's hammer facing Walter, unarmed entirely. To was not willing to take the risk, but a word of the burning of the Kingsbridge cathedral made up Jack's mind. He insisted on fighting, silently pulling the blame for the predicament onto his own shoulders. Jack, hammer in his shaking hand, fought William, though poorly. The odds had been clear from the very start and William had eventually gotten hold of Jack's hammer, bringing the weapon down on the boy and breaking his hand. Jack cried out, the pain tearing through him. He hadn't even been able to notice the black tendrils until he had been pulled under. Pandora History